Motor-vehicle signaling device.



APPLICATION FILEDJUNE 21. I915- Patented June 4, 1918.

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\ BERT A. SEEKING, F ARVADA, COLORADO.

' MOTOR-VEHICLE SIGNALING DEVICE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June a, rare.

Application filed June 21, 1915. Serial No, 35,347.

- To all evkom it may concern:

exact description.

Be itknown that I, BERT A. SEBRING, a

' citizen of the United States, and a resident of Arvada,-and State of Colorado, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Motor-Vehicle Signaling Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and

This invention is an improvement in signahng devlces for motor vehlcles and its primary object is'to provide a simple, conpressed air as 'anactuating medium and. means whereby the device will display the desired signal and then automatically, after any desired predetermined expiration of venient and compact device for indicating to other drivers and to traflic oflicers the direction which it, is intended to take at an approaching-corner. More particularly the invention contemplates the use of comtime, return to neutral. Further and more detailed objects and advantages of. my invention will later appear in the specification.

In the single sheet ofdrawings accom panying this application and forming a part hereof- Figure 1 is a detached perspective view trolling the application of power; and Fig$3is an enlarged detail view of the motive fluid controlling valve.

Referring to the drawings, 4: is .the indicator casing'which has a bracket 5 by which it may be attached to any desired part of a motor vehicle In one-side of the casing I there is an elongated transparent portion 6 i through which the drum 7 (shown in Fig.-

1) may be viewed." This drum is revolubly mounted on"'trunnions 8, 9, bearing in brackets 10 carried by the casing 4. The

' drum 7 is preferably provided with at leastone blank. side 11 and with two other sides bearing oppositely pointing arrows marked respectively Right and- Left disposed as' shown with reference-to the side 11. The trunnion 9 carries fixed thereon the pinion 12 which is in position to be engaged by the rack 13 which is heldin engagement with the pinion by bearing on the foot of the bracket 10; The rack13 is carried by the parallel bent ends of the piston rod 14 which is adapted to be reciproc-ated by the double acting piston 15 which works each way in the cylinder 16 against the action of a compression spring 17. Pipes 18, 19,, supply motive fluid to the opposlte ends of the cylinder 16. These pipes lead from a valve 20 to which the motive fluid is admitted by the feed pipe 21 from the reservoir 22 which is charged from any suitable source 23.

In Fig. 3 the valve 20 is shown in plan on enlarged scale. The valve stem 24 is adapted to be turned by theh'andle 25 in either direction from neutral (in which position it is shown) and thus supply air to pipe 18 or 19 as desired. -When-turned in either direction the handle 25 will iiex the corresponding spring 26 which will tend to return the valve to neutral as soon as pressure is released from the handle 25.

At one end of the drain- (the left end being selected in the drawing to avoid confusion of lines) electrical contacts 27, 28, connected to the leads 29 of a lighting circuit are provided. On the same end ofthe drum a contact bar 30 in position to engage both the contacts 27,28 in either indicating p0 sition of the drum is provided, and a light 31.is mounted in the casing in position to illuminate the indicating mechanism and is wired in series with the contacts 27, 28.

Operation.

Assuming that the parts are in neutral position, as shown in Fig. 1, ifgthe valve handle 25 be turned toward the left to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, air willbe admitted through the pipe 18 to the right hand side of the piston 15 which will then be forced to the left hand end of the cylinder 16-carrying-with it the piston rod .leases the valve-handle 25 the spring 26 which has been'flexed will return the valve 20 to closed'or neutral position. Each end of the cylinder 16 has a small hole or leak valve 33 therein and-the motivefluid which has actuated the piston to move it toward either end will gradually exhaust, thus ios iio

allowing the corresponding compression spring 17 to returnthe piston 15 and the connected parts to neutral after the length of time which it is desired to display a signal has expired. It Will of course be obvious that the rapidity of exhaust may be adjusted and regulated so that the signal may be displayed the desired length of time. If the desired turn had been to the right the handle would have been moved to the right and air admitted through the pipe 19 to the cylinder through the opposite end, the operation of the parts being relatively the same but in the opposite direction.

It will thus be evident that I have pro-.

vided a signaling device for the use described Which Will automatically return to neutral Without any manipulation on the part of the driver other than releasing the valve handle 25 and that it therefore can not be carelessly left in signaling position as from any wrong signaling accidents Would be very liable to occur.

If desired a red or other colored transparent portion 34 may be provided in the casing for the purpose of providing additional means for calling attention to the indicator.

Having thus described my invention What means? I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: a

1. In a device of the class described, indicating mechanism, a fluid pressure cylinder, means for supplying motive fluid thereto, a double acting piston in said cylinder, connections from said piston to said indicating mechanism for actuating the same in two directions, and means for returning said'piston to intermediate position when said motive fluid has been cut ofi.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing having a transparent portion therein, an indicating drum revolubly' mounted in said casing and carrying a plurality of directions thereon, a pinion mounted to re volve With said drum, a rack in operative relation to said pinion, a double acting piston rod connected to said rack, a piston on said rod, a cylinder in which said piston is adapted to reciprocate, springs tending normally to hold said piston centrally of said cylinder, and connections for supplying motive fluid to either end of said cylinder.

In testimony whereof have hereunto affixed my signature.

BERT a. SEEKING. 

